Clock setting and automatic regulation



March zs, 1961 O. R. PETTERS EI'AL CLOCK SETTING AND AUTOMATIC REGULATION Filed July 30. 1957 INVENTOR OSCAR R. PETTERS HARWELL B. THOMPSON ATTORNEY United States Patent CLOCK SETTING AND AUTOMATIC REGULATION Oscar R. Petters, Columbia, and Harwell E. Thompson, Lancaster, Pa., assignors to Hamilton Watch ompany, Lancaster, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed M 30, 1957, Ser. No. 675,108

Claims. c1. 58-1ll9) This invention relates to a timepiece having an automatic regulator and more particularly relates to a timepiece so constructed as to automatically accomplish regulation thereof when the hands of the timepiece are set.

Conventional time pieces, such as watches and clocks, are ordinarily provided with a regulator which is accessible either from inside of the case or from the back of the timepiece so that it may be regulated to keep accurate time. In certain types of timepieces, however, such as automobile clocks, the mounting of the clock makes it difficult to provide a readily accessible regulator and, where the regulatoris-inaccessible, it is inconvenient to periodically adjust the regulator so as to effect good timekeeping.

It is accordingly a primary object of the present invention to provide an improved automatic regulator for a timepiece.

It is another object of the invention to provide an auto matic regulator for a timepiece wherein regulation is effected each time that the hands are set, except that regulation cannot be provided more than once in a predetermined period.

It is another object of the invention to provide an automatic regulator of the foregoing type utilized a minimum number of parts and of such a construction as to be rugged and subject to a minimum amount of maintenance.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become more apparent upon reference to the following specification and claims and appended drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a regulator constructed according to'the present invention; and

Figure 2 is a partial vertical section of the regulator shown in Figure 1.

Referring to Figure 1 there is shown a perspective view of a portion of a clock having an hour wheel 10 mounted on an hour staff 12 which supports an hour hand 14. The train which drives the hour wheel 10 is of the conventional automobile clock type and forms no part of the present invention. A minute hand 16 and second hand 17 are also provided in a conventional manner.

A setting shaft 32 having a setting knob 34 extends through the clock dial plate 36. The rear end of the setting shaft is grooved at 38 and is received Within a slot 40 in a setting stem return spring 42 secured to the clock frame. A minute wheel 46 is mounted on a staff 48 and immediately below this a setting pinion 44 is mounted on shaft 32. The shaft 32 also carries a clutch housing 50 which is provided with a collar 52 having a reduced diameter section 54. The clutch housing is rotatably slidably mounted on the setting shaft 32. A finger clutch disc 56 is mounted on the reduced diameter portion 54 of collar 52 by means of a friction fit and is provided with a series of depending fingers 58.

A regulation lever 60 is pivotally mounted over the collar 52 and is forced into frictional engagement with.

t e finger clutch disc 56 by means of a clutch spring 62. A coil spring 64 is received within a bore 66 in the clutch Patented Mar. 28, 1961 housing 50 and bears against the underside of the dial plate 36 to force the clutch housing down. The regulation lever 60 carries an L-shaped bracket 68 which has an inwardly extending finger 70 at the top thereof riding over a semicircular tab 72 on the dial plate 36. The helical spring 64 forces the setting shaft 32 downwardly and this downward movement is limited by the finger 70 engaging the top of tab 72 on dial plate 36.

Mounted beneath dial plate 36, as by means of fingers 72, is an index shaft 74 carrying an indexing wheel 76 and worm 79. The indexing wheel 76 is situated immediately above the end of the regulation lever 60 and this lever is provided with an indexing tab 78 which is aligned with the teeth in the indexing wheel 76. Worm 79 engages the teeth in a regulator wheel 80 having a de pending finger 82 in which the end of the hair spring 84 is secured.

Referring to Figure 1, a resilient locking arm 86 is formed as an integral part of the regulation lever and extends radially away from the setting shaft 32. This locking arm has an offset edge at 88 and an upwardly extending tab 90 at the end thereof. The tab 90 extends through an aperture 92 in the dial plate 36 to prevent movement of this end of the arm.

A lockout lever 18 is pivoted to the dial plate at 20 and has an elongated wire lockout lever spring 22 connected thereto at 24 in any suitable manner, such as by welding. The opposite end of lockout lever spring 22 is frictionally clamped at 26 in a slot 28 in a tab 33 secured to the frame of the watch. The lockout lever spring 22 tends to rotate the lockout lever 18 in a counter clockwise direction. Lockout lever 18 is provided with an upper edge, as seen in Figure 1, having a shallow V-shaped cam surface 2628 and this is engaged by a finger 30 struck downwardly from the hour wheel 10. As the hour wheel makes one rotation in every 12 hours the finger 30 engages the cam edge 28 to move the lockout lever in a clockwise direction for a purpose presently to become apparent.

Lockout lever 18 is recessed at 94 to form a pair of slots 96 and 98 separated by an abutment 100. The lockout lever spring 22 forces the lockout lever in a counter clockwise direction and this movement is limited by the edge 88 of resilient locking arm 86 striking the abutment 100 on the lockout lever. It is to be noted that the edge of the abutment 100 is set back from the adjacent edges 89 and 91 of the lockout lever so as to provide a positive limitation on the angle through which the resilient lockout arm can be rotated.

The operation of the regulator is as follows:

In normal setting of the hands of the clock the setting knob 34 is pulled upwardly in Figures 1 and 2 until the setting pinion 44 engages the minute wheel 46. Further movement of the setting pinion causes it to engage the fingers 58 on the finger clutch disc 56. This upward movement of the setting shaft 52 flexes the setting shaft return spring 42 and is resisted by the coil spring 64 in the clutch housing 50. The maximum extent of upward movement is limited by the clutch housing engaging the underside of the dial plate 36.

After the setting pinion 44 has engaged the finger clutch disc 56 further upward movement of the setting shaft 32 also raises the regulation lever 60 to a position where rotation of that lever causes the indexing tab 78 to engage the teeth of the indexing Wheel 76. Assuming that the lockout arm 86 and lockout lever 18 are in the position shown in Figure 1, rotation of the setting knob 34 rotates the minute wheel to set the hands of the clock and also rotates the regulation lever 60 by reason of the pinion 44, clutch disc 56 and clutch spring 62.

This rotation of the regulation lever causes the indexing tab 78 to rotate the indexing wheel 76 a distance of approximately two teeth of this wheel while simultaneously flexing the lock arm 86 so as to cause the edge 88 thereof to move across the abutment G todrop into one of the slots 96 or $8, depending upon the direction of rotation of the setting knob 34-. When this occurs the tension in the lockout lever spring 22 urges the lookout lever 18 in a counterclockwise direction to cause the edge 88 to snap into one of the slots 96 or 98 thereby preventing further rotation of the regulation lever 60. Continued rotation of the setting knob 34 thereafter rotates the minute wheel but not the regulation lever, inasmuch as slippage is permitted by the clutch spring 62.

Rotation of the regulation lever and indexing wheel '76 causes rotation of the worm 79 and regulator 84) to elfect regulation of the clock. The arrangement is such that when the setting knob 34 is rotated to advance the hands of the clock the regulator wheel 80 is rotated in a direction to speed up the clock. Conversely when the setting knob 34 is rotated in a direction to set the hands of the clock back, the regulator wheel 80 is rotated in a direction to decrease the speed of the clock.

After the hands have been set for the proper time the setting knob 34 is released and the setting'shaft is returned to the positions shown in Figures 1 and 2 by means of the coil spring 64 in the clutch housing 50. The lockout arm 86, however, remains with its edge 88 locked in one of the slots as or 98, and remains in this position until the finger 3% on the hour wheel 10 makes a complete revolution to move the lockout lever in a clockwise direction to enable the edge 88 on lockout arm 86 to spring free by reason of the resiliency of the lockout arm. As long as the edge 1'58 on the lockout arm is in one of the slots 96 or 98 it is impossible to again regulate the clock since motion of the regulation lever 60 is prevented. The purpose of this is to prevent regulation of the clock at too frequent intervals, before it is possible to observe whether or not the clock is running fast or slow.

Regulation is thus possible once in each 12 hours but no more.

The automatic regulator of this invention is relatively simple in construction, requires a minimum number of parts, and practically no maintenance.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiment is therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by the United States Letters Patent is:

1. In a timepiece having an automatic regulator, a timepiece frame, a setting shaft mounted in said frame for rotation and limited axial motion therein, a first wheel in the train of said timepiece mounted in said frame adjacent said shaft, a setting pinion on said shaft and engageable with said wheel on movement of said shaft in one axial direction, clutch means rotationally mounted on said shaft and having fingers thereon engageable by said setting pinion on further axial movement of said shaft in the same direction, a regulation lever carried by said clutch means and frictionally held thereby by the clutch action, an indexing wheel mounted in said frame, an indexing means on said regulation lever engageable with said indexing wheel when said setting pinion engages said fingers and rotates said clutch means and regulation lever, a regulator mounted in said frame, means driven by said indexing wheel for moving said regulator, and means preventing movement of said regulator more than once per revolution of the slowest moving wheel in the train of said timepiece.

2. A timepiece as set out in claim 1 wherein said means preventing movement of said regulator comprises a resilient arm extending from said regulation lever, a lock out lever pivoted to said frame, spring means urging said lock out lever toward said shaft, said arm engaging said lever, means on said lever for locking said arm against rotation after a limited rotation in either direction, and a second wheel in the train of said Watch having means thereon for rotating said lever out of engagement with said arm to unlock said arm and permit further rotation thereof.

3. A timepiece as set out in claim 2 wherein said resilient arm has an end extending past said lever and secured to said frame.

4. A timepiece as set out in claim 2 wherein said second wheel in said train is the hour wheel and the means thereon comprises a finger which once per revolution of said second wheel engages a cam surface on said lever.

5. A timepiece as set out in claim 2 wherein said means on said lever for locking said arm comprises a pair of slots which receive a portion of said arm to eifect said locking, said arm springing to a neutral position between said slots when said lever is moved out of engagement with said arm.

6. A timepiece as set out in claim 2 wherein the spring urging said lever comprises a substantially straight spring having one end attached to said lever and extending longitudinally away therefrom and the other end attached to said frame.

7. A timepiece as set out in claim 1 including a shaft carried by said frame having said indexing wheel mounted on one end, a worm mounted on the other end of said shaft, and said regulator comprising a toothed wheel engaging said worm.

8. A timepiece as set out in claim 1 wherein said clutch means comprises a clutch housing rotationally mounted on said shaft, a disc mounted on said clutch housing and carrying said fingers, said regulation lever being rotationally mounted on said clutch housing and spring means urging said regulation lever into frictional contact with said disc.

9. A timepiece as set out in claim 8 wherein said clutch housing receives one end of a coil spring having its other end abutting a plate in said frame through which said shaft passes.

10. A timepiece as set out in claim 9 wherein said regulation lever has a bracket extending therefrom and having a portion extending over an edge of a plate in said frame to limit the extent to which said coil spring can move said clutch housing.

11. A timepiece as set out in claim 10 including spring means attached to said frame and receiving an end of said setting shaft to return said shaft to a neutral position after it has been moved axially.

12. A timepiece as set out in claim 11 in which said spring is a leaf spring.

13. A timepiece as set out in claim 11 wherein said means preventing movement of said regulator comprises a resilient arm extending from said regulation lever, a lock out lever pivoted to said frame and spring urged toward said shaft, said arm engaging said lever, means on said lever for locking said arm against rotation after a limited rotation in either direction, and a second wheel in the train of said watch having mews thereon for rotating said lever out of engagement with said arm to unlock said arm and permit further rotation thereof.

14. A timepiece as set out in claim 13 wherein said resilient arm has an end extending past said lever and secured to said frame.

15. A timepiece as set out in claim 13 wherein said second wheel in said train is the hour wheel and the means thereon comprises a finger which once per revolution of said-second wheel engages a cam surface on said lever.

16. A timepiece as set out in claim 13 wherein said means on said lever for locking said arm comprises a pair of slots which receive a portion of said arm to effect said locking, said arm springing to a neutral position between said slots when said lever is moved out of engagement with said arm.

17. In a timepiece having a timepiece frame, a setting shaft mounted in said frame for rotation and limited axial motion therein, a Wheel in the train of said timepiece mounted in said frame adjacent said shaft, and a setting pinion on said shaft engageable with said wheel on movement 'of said shaft axially, the improvement comprising a regulation lever mounted on said shaft, clutch means which in its clutching condition couples said regulation lever to said shaft for rotation therewith, regulation limiting means preventing movement of said regulation lever more than a fixed predetermined amount,

and means engaging said regulation limiting means for preventing any movement of said regulation lever more than once in a fixed time interval.

18. Apparatus according to claim 17 wherein said clutch couples said regulation lever to said setting pinion.

19. Apparatus according to claim 18 wherein said regulation limiting means comprises a resilient locking arm extending from said regulation lever.

20. Apparatus according to claim 19 wherein said resilient locking arm is formed integral with said regulation lever.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,542,430 Rabinow Feb. 20, 1951 2,554,029 Holdman May 22, 1951 2,858,029 Rabinow Oct. 28, 1958 

